--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Children] just cannot be sad too long…" description: "\"“[Children] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives.”\" — Nancy E...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png" --- # \[Children\] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them… ![“[Children] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives.” quote by Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png) > ““\[Children\] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives.”” [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children experience brief, fragmented grief, naturally returning to joy quickly. **In simple terms:** Kids don’t stay sad long. Key Takeaway Accept their natural resilience. Themes grief resilience childhood Mood gentle observant Type reflective empathetic When to use this quote - parenting - teaching coping - supporting children Key Concepts emotional processing temporary sorrow Questions to Reflect On - How do you support a child’s brief sadness? - What helps them bounce back? A Different Perspective Children may need adult help to articulate feelings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/) ## Related quotes > [You learn not to mourn every little thing out here, or you’d never, ever stop grieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/you-learn-not-to-mourn-every-little-thing-out-here-or-you-d-never/) [Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/) > [“Sometimes it is very difficult to keep in mind the fact that the parents, too, have reasons for what they do-- have reasons, locked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-m-axline/sometimes-it-is-very-difficult-to-keep-in-mind-the-fact-that-the/) Virginia M. Axline > [...and thus it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-thus-it-will-go-on-so-long-as-children-are-gay-and-innocent-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But there is no easy way to mourn a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/but-there-is-no-easy-way-to-mourn-a-child/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [I think whether you've got children or not you're just more aware of others as you get out of your 20s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-think-whether-you-ve-got-children-or-not-you-re-just-more-aware-of/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [“A person can't pick up they children and just squeeze them to which-a-way they wants them to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/a-person-can-t-pick-up-they-children-and-just-squeeze-them-to-which-a/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [Love your friends' kids, even if you don't want or like children. Just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/love-your-friends-kids-even-if-you-don-t-want-or-like-children-just/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“The miracle of children is that we just don’t know how they will change or who they will become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-kennedy-moore/the-miracle-of-children-is-that-we-just-don-t-know-how-they-will/) [Eileen Kennedy-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-kennedy-moore/) > [“Nobody should have children just because it made the photo library on the computer more interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/nobody-should-have-children-just-because-it-made-the-photo-library-on/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [Children are just so special that everything they do is special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordyn-woods/children-are-just-so-special-that-everything-they-do-is-special/) [Jordyn Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordyn-woods/) > [I don't have any children. I just have a cat, to my parents' dismay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bush/i-don-t-have-any-children-i-just-have-a-cat-to-my-parents-dismay/) [Jenna Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bush/) > [I love children. I just don't know if I'm ready to have kids. I feel like I have more time. Kids are cute, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-schilling/i-love-children-i-just-don-t-know-if-i-m-ready-to-have-kids-i-feel/) [Taylor Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-schilling/) > [“Only mothers can’t say they don’t want their children and just go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/only-mothers-can-t-say-they-don-t-want-their-children-and-just-go-away/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [To work with children anywhere is just plain fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/to-work-with-children-anywhere-is-just-plain-fun/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) > [What we want to help children with is, just because you feel sad or happy or depressed doesn't mean that is who you are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/what-we-want-to-help-children-with-is-just-because-you-feel-sad-or/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) ## More by Nancy E. Turner > [What a pure blessing it was to have a bath in a tub alone in a room where all you had to do was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/what-a-pure-blessing-it-was-to-have-a-bath-in-a-tub-alone-in-a-room/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“Goats are naught but bones and bleating, and their hair was not warm nor their bodies soft. Of course, there was the smell, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/goats-are-naught-but-bones-and-bleating-and-their-hair-was-not-warm/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“Our children weigh hard on my heart, and thinking about them growing up honest and healthy, or just living to grow up at all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/our-children-weigh-hard-on-my-heart-and-thinking-about-them-growing/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [I have a deep-down belief that there are folks in the world who are good through and through, and others who came in mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-have-a-deep-down-belief-that-there-are-folks-in-the-world-who-are/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“My life is a tree and I can stay in one place and spread out in all directions, and I can do more learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/my-life-is-a-tree-and-i-can-stay-in-one-place-and-spread-out-in-all/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [Children are a burden to a mother, but not the way a heavy box is to a mule. Our children weight hard on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/children-are-a-burden-to-a-mother-but-not-the-way-a-heavy-box-is-to-a/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“I rode toward Rudolfo Maldonado's house, planning to murder him before he got his morning shave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-rode-toward-rudolfo-maldonado-s-house-planning-to-murder-him-before/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“I have been sad almost a whole year, thinking that taking that test was somehow the end of my learning and that not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-have-been-sad-almost-a-whole-year-thinking-that-taking-that-test/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“Low down dirty ornery rotten skunk of a cussed mule-headed soldier! What's he want with my book anyway? And what kind of a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/low-down-dirty-ornery-rotten-skunk-of-a-cussed-mule-headed-soldier/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [How fragile our lives are anyway. How quickly things can change forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/how-fragile-our-lives-are-anyway-how-quickly-things-can-change-forever/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“It is an awful thing to look on such sad circumstance and not be able to shed a tear. It is not because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/it-is-an-awful-thing-to-look-on-such-sad-circumstance-and-not-be-able/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [I dream of land, cut only where streams glistened with birdsong wander through quiet hills burnt hard by the scrape of wind, and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-dream-of-land-cut-only-where-streams-glistened-with-birdsong-wander/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“I told Mama and Savannah about Ruben's proposal. That got us to talking about marriage and we laughed and cried some, and missed Papa,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-told-mama-and-savannah-about-ruben-s-proposal-that-got-us-to/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“We are a noisy and blessed little family”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/we-are-a-noisy-and-blessed-little-family/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“That man makes me feel like I have my bonnet on backwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/that-man-makes-me-feel-like-i-have-my-bonnet-on-backwards/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) [Explore all 72 Nancy E. Turner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[Children] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy E. Turner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it-is-not-in-them-as-children/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it-is-not-in-them-as-children/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/nancy-e-turner-9527_child_children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it_2706990.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Children] just cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there…” — Nancy E. Turner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nancy E. Turner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“[Children] just cannot be sad too...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it-is-not-in-them-as-children/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/children-just-cannot-be-sad-too-long-it-is-not-in-them-as-children/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```